Intel’ s Core i7 is FAST but getting there isn’t

Posted: 11.19.08

I was invited to the Intel Core i7 victory lap party in way, way downtown south of the biotech area that’s exploding in San Francisco known as the dogpatch, is an area filled with old warehouses now used by film and art studios, and a few software development firms.

On my way to the Intel i7 rollout I was making a left to the designated parking area – parking being the most unavailable thing in this area of empty lots – go figure, and when I got to the right lane of on-coming traffic (the left two lanes were stopped waiting to make their left turn) a car hit me broadside in the passenger door (I was alone) and drove my heavy (4,220 pound) little car up the street 30 ft. He careened off. His car, a 1,095 pound Chevrolet Aveo was destroyed, his airbags popped and he got a ride to the hospital in a big red truck with flashing lights. He had, what looked to be minor injuries and a very bad day. Here’s the good part, or the bad part—time will tell—he's a SF traffic safety officer, but it would seem someone should have explained speed limits to him.

That's my car off to the right behind the fence - which ultimately stopped by forward motion. That’s a section of the explosive biotech development area in the background – Dogpatch is south to the left.

But now I had to wait for the twenty some cops who came rushing to scene and try to find the one who was in charge. Eventually he showed up on a motorcycle, and then the cops with cameras and tape measures went to work, and I kept trying to find someone to talk to. Early on there was a sergeant who seemed to know how things worked, but for some strange reason wasn’t in charge. Eventually I got my paperwork submitted and telling anyone who would listen I had to go to a meeting. They all told me forgetablutit.

I kept asking, and finally someone said, OK you can go. AND, I made it to the Intel event just a little late thanks to the sergeant at the scene who gave me a ride.

Got there, to Dogpatch Studios in time to hear that the Core i7 is the fastest thing ever – but I knew that because we’ve been testing one for a few weeks- and it IS fast!. And also go to hear that Intel has shipped over 100,000 processors to the mobo builders in Taiwan, and that unsurprising Alienware, Dell, Gateway and others will be building super-duper high-end hi-speed systems with the wonder chip.

When it comes to CPUs there are physical speed limits and Intel seems to be breaking them. We’re still checking the data but early indications are that using dual ATI Radeon HD4970x2s (that’s’s four GPUs chugging along with the four CPUs) the Core i7 based machine as compared to a Barcelona is over twice as fast! We’re having trouble believing this and that’s why we’re still running the tests. The final results will be posted in Mt. Tiburon Testing Labs on our front page in a few days.